Sunday, February 07, 2010

Quanjude Roast Duck Restaurant, Beijing China

Back to China.Beijing Duck = Fat Duck. There. My precise verdict.The long version.

There were 3 of us and 1 of us knows of someone among the 17 million people in Beijing. What are the odds indeed. =P

Being led by a local one would expect a dodgy backlane hard to find hole in the wall honest to goodness eating place.She brought us to a 4 levels Aladdin's cave teeming with >40 serving staff. Here's the official website!With a long queue list (even when reservations are a must and were made a few days earlier), everybody was given a queue number and ushered into a hall-like waiting room. It was supposed to be low season and yet we waited almost an hour and a half before our number was called and promptly shown to a table in an elaborately decorated dining hall.Tada. The famously roasted webbed star. The certified famously roasted webbed star. Presentation is similar to how it's done in Malaysia. The flavourful almost crunchy skin is eaten wrapped as such. Major difference is that most of the meat is sliced and served as well. Meat so 'luxurious' when teeth and mouth clamp on the cut duck pieces, PHHSSTTT! or something that sounds like sitting on a water filled balloon occurs. To one own ears only, of course. Let me repaint the picture. Fragrant but oily. Nice but cannot take many. Sorry to those who abhor fresh spring onions. Those greens with its slight bitterness worked to counter the fats onslaught.In Malaysia, the rest of the duck's meat is usually added in fried rice or noodles. Over there, the meat is minced and stuff into dumplings (yes, apparently the carved duck still yielded plenty) with the bones boiled into soup (soup picture is too lousy to be posted)Noticed the word 'certified'? Every Roasted Duck served comes with a Commemoration Card that certifies the duck on your table has just became a statistic. Ours was number 487247.
In other words, patrons get to bring home a death cert.
Of all the side dishes bestsellers, we fought to the last piece of this. Quick Fried Duck Hearts. Sounds yucky? There were actually more of you. One taste and 3 members converted. It's that good.
Boiled Duck Liver
Duck Intestines. Kind of springy texture. QQ. Similar to chicken feet skin available at Chicken rice stalls around Malaysia. Chai-Sing Greens (Mustard) with Local Mushroom. I have no love for that black, soft and slimy mushroom topping the green stalks.
As desserts, we were introduced to Sweetened Red Dates aka Honey Glazed Red Dates. Too sweet for me.Beijing friend of my Malaysian friend bought us the meal. In the midst of incessant chattering (ours and 7 million others) I forgot to seek the bill. My bad.

Address / Contact:-Beijing Wangfujing Quanjude Roast Duck Restaurant
Add. 13, Shuaifuyuan Hutong, Dongcheng District, Beijing, PRC China;
Tel: 86-10-65253310.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Having lived in Beijing, I firmly believe that Quanjude is almost a rip off. Da Dong is better. I cannot remember the name of the restaurant now but there use to be a rather dirty hole in the wall which roasted a mean duck.

All in all, the best roast duck I ever had was in chinatown, London.

Precious Pea said...

They have an outlet in Melbourne too...i heard AUD88 per duck!!

Big Boys Oven said...

OMG! this is really awesome, just drool me with the way how duck is being cosume, just amazing! duck liver my goodness! :)

UnkaLeong said...

Kewl Commemorative Cert ;)

Kenny Mah said...

Beijing is amazing. The duck, more so. But no toilet review? How can??? :P

choi yen said...

hubby is going to Beijing, must ask him try this ;)

Tummythoz said...

Anony Sunday, u must mean that much talkabout Bayswater place. At my current state of finances, those available at the Chinese restaurants around KL satiate my cravings very well.

Precious Pea, RM264??!!!

Big Boys Oven, almost like foiegras?

Unkaleong, a bit on the darkside, no?

Life for Beginners, oi you've been to Beijing, no go sh-sh-meh?

mimid3vils, hope to hear his opinion soon.

sc said...

hahaha i like the way you describe the juicy meat :D and the duck's death cert..but 1.5 hours wait? worth it ka?

Tummythoz said...

sc, mention Beijing & most will ask 'tried d duck?' So, just do it. Just don't arrive hungry.

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